Despite having 15,000 new cases in Virginia alone, students are still required to attend in-person school. Teachers and students alike are out of school with Covid, leaving countless seats empty. Omicron has hit school especially hard, and it is time to make a change and prioritize the health of the students. Putting our health at risk to keep things “normal” is extremely dangerous, and normalizing the fact that there are thousands of Covid deaths every day is unbelievable. School systems have been neglecting our mental, emotional, and physical health for years, but this us a new level of cruelty. Catching Covid is not what scares us the most, it’s spreading it to our high-risk friends and family. Since the booster vaccine has just recently been approved for 12-15 year olds, there are a lot of students in high school that haven’t gotten a chance to get it yet who are left vulnerable. The new strand, Omicron, is especially susceptible for young children and and teens, yet the same education system continues to turn a blind eye. Mandating school in person and not giving us an option to go online allows Covid cases to grow exponentially. We have lost years because of this virus. It is time for the government to do its part by switching to online school and start considering the wellbeing of its students and faculty. Virginia Beach City Public Schools, we are begging you to do the right thing and take action now.